A small town in France is taking a drastic financial step to prevent the closure of its local maternity ward. From January 1 next year, the town of Saint-Amand-Montrond will offer expectant mothers a 1,000-euro bonus if they choose to give birth at its struggling clinic.
A Financial Incentive for Local Births
The town council approved the plan late on Thursday, December 4, 2025. The initiative is a direct response to dwindling birth numbers that threaten the ward's existence. French law requires maternity units to handle at least 300 births per year to remain operational. The Saint-Amand-Montrond ward is projected to see only 226 births by the end of this year, placing it among roughly 20 nationwide that fall short of the legal threshold.
Mayor Emmanuel Riotte clarified that the 1,000-euro vouchers, equivalent to about $1,160, are not for having babies. "We're giving money to women who are already pregnant and decide to give birth in Saint-Amand," the right-wing mayor told AFP. The vouchers must be spent at local businesses, providing a dual boost to the community. Mothers must also commit to prenatal check-ups at the clinic first.
Medical Experts Voice Safety Concerns
While local politicians see the hospital as a crucial employer—the maternity ward provides 34 jobs—medical unions are strongly opposed. Four unions representing anaesthesiologists, obstetricians, and emergency physicians issued a joint statement this week. They warned that patients should not choose where to give birth based on money alone, citing significant risks if complications arise.
"When a maternity ward is threatened with closure, it's not for economic reasons but for safety reasons," the statement read. Anne Wernet of the national anaesthesiologist union told AFP that rural maternities often struggle to attract qualified staff. "In small countryside clinics, nothing happens for a long time and when there's a problem, there's no one there to deal with it properly," she argued, suggesting closures are sometimes in the best interest of mothers and newborns.
A National Trend of Decline
The situation in Saint-Amand-Montrond reflects a broader crisis across France. The number of maternity wards has fallen by around one-fifth in the past decade, with only 457 remaining in 2023. This decline coincides with falling fertility rates across the European Union, though France's rate of 1.6 children per woman in 2023 remains the second-highest in the bloc after Bulgaria.
Mayor Riotte assured that complicated births would still be redirected to specialised hospitals, a practice long in place. The French parliament's lower house has backed a bill to halt the closure of rural obstetrics clinics, but the senate has yet to examine it. For now, this town of 10,000 residents is betting that a cash incentive can secure its clinic's future, despite the fierce debate over safety it has ignited.
